JCI Reading's blog | Read the latest updates here

A busy JCI Reading week....

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:08:34 +0000

Well what a week JCI Reading has had. I'm exhausted but like all JCI Reading activities its been fun and full of challenges!

First of all beginning of the week there was the scramble to collect in payments and food orders in readiness for the Guide Dog pub quiz we're hosting next Tuesday at Walkabout in Reading. Unbelieveably the quiz sold out a whole 13 days in advance. Then it was off to place one massive food order - 39 burgers - can you believe it, plus other menu tems too! Anyway with room hire paid, food orders placed and boomerang drinks discount cards in my pocket I left feeling we were a huge step forward.

Out and about on Wednesday I popped into Vue in Reading town centre who donated two pairs of free cinema tickets as prizes for our raffle quiz.

Wednesday evening saw the close of another round of Ebay auction bids and the evening was spent wrapping up the items, leaving me with a tidy pile of parcels. Now, let me think - in these were a man's blazer, a lady's trouser suit, a girl's denim jacket, a girl's denim dress, girl's cargo trousers, girl's tops, easter cards, notecards, pashmina, a cd single and a girl's cardigan! All in all these items alone raised some £22 profit all of which goes to straight to JCI Reading's account for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Thursday, being the fourth Thursday of the month was training evening. We were very pleased to welcome Soraya from JCI London to talk to us about how to run good projects. I was especially keen to hear this talk as I have very little project management experience, not having opportunities to develop such skills in my day to day job. I later found out that the training was Soraya's first workshop that she had delivered - not that you would have guessed - she talked us through the stages of a project and the important recording process. This workshop is going to be invaluable for this year as the Community activites of the chamber develop.

Now it's Friday evening, my JCI Reading week is by no means over. My husband's brought home a large bag of used postage stamps that all need sorting and trimming, it's a free listings weekend on Ebay which will give me another opportunity to advertise many of the items that friends, family and colleagues have donated towards our huge fundraising efforts. What have i got to put up this weekend - teddies, ladies' clothes, books, notecards, jewellery, alsorts in fact!

Of course the big job of the weekend will be getting the final arrangements in place for Tuesday's quiz. It's odd because organising these sort of events are hardwork and can be stressful - but I really enjoy it! There's the float for the raffle to organise, raffle tickets to buy, seating plans to arrange, outstanding ticket payments to follow up, gift aid sheets to put ready and lots of other things to collect together.

Finally I'm hoping to harness all the support that attendees to the quiz are giving us on Tuesday by letting them know how they can help us further. This could be by collecting stamps for us, donating unwanted clothing, linens, cuddly toys, shoes, books, cds, dvds, game discs and good condition bric-a-brac. Desktop publishing is always a challenge for me, but the beauty of JCI Reading is that once you have something in draft there is always someone, like our president Steve Wells, who will look it over and put my efforts right.

Well, there's a particularly busy week in JCI Reading but it shows the different opportunities that are on offer for members in any one week for them to choose from.

Inspiration from Birmingham

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:45:17 +0000

Travelling to Birmingham was well worth the time and effort to get to the JCI UK launch event for the year it truly was an 'Inspiration Day' for Sreenivas Midatala one of our newest members.

It was a great oppurtinity to meet people from various backgrounds and it was very inspiring to know how JCI has helped or had an effect on professional lifes of individuals.

I also learnt about other training events that are organised at various JCI chambers in UK which of my interest in self development.

In all JCI UK as whole has lot to offer , and now I belive that I have taken one small step to make a difference.

To find out more about JCI and how it can help you please come along to one of our 'How JCI Reading Can Help You' sessions, the next one is on Thursday 9^th Feb

Pub Quiz for Guide Dogs

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:37:16 +0000

We've now booked our launch event for our 2012 Guide Dogs for the Blind year long campaign.

Our pub quiz will run on Tuesday 28th february 2012 at Walkabout in Reading town centre. The quiz is open to absolutely everyone, so start asking your family, friends, colleagues, business contacts, neighbours and get your team or teams booked asap as places are limited.

Booking the quiz, like any project has involved challenges that had to be overcome. As I experienced when I was Personal Development Director, getting venues to book us for venues is very difficult because we're a smaller community group and cannot afford to pay up front large deposits, so we're grateful to Walkabout for helping where others could not.

Anyone wanting more information, wanting to book a team, wanting to donate a raffle prize or wanting to know more about JCI Reading should contact me, Clare Franklin, on 0118 9605792 or email me on Clare.f@jcireading.co.uk

Download the flyer for the quiz at www.jcireading.org.uk/events/2012-02-28

Guide Dog Campaign - Spreading the Word and making a start

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:06:36 +0000

This week the JCI Reading Guide Dog 2012 campaign got well underway.

Our as yet unborn puppy 'Jaycee' got a public face and made his first public appearance with me at my weekly BNI Oracle network meeting that I attend on behalf of the firm that I work for. I introduced 'Jaycee' to group and it was clear from the reaction that his 'puppy-dog' eyes had captured their hearts-he will soon be seen here on the JCI Reading website. The campaign was well received and much help with our fund raising was pledged. The reason for giving a public face to 'Jaycee' was that I felt it would be much easier for us as fundraisers and the giving public to be able to relate to soemthing that had an actual face.

For JCI Reading to actually be able to name a Guide Dog puppy 'Jaycee' as we so want to be able to do, we need to raise £5,000 which will pay for his first year's keep and training. This then is the challenge for JCI Reading and it's members this year.

It was with this challenge in mind that we all met together in the pub on Thursday evening for a Project Meeting. Excitingly we had all the results from our Research Director of her venue research for our planned JCI Reading Pub Quiz in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Decisions were made and I'm excited that we have set the date for the quiz as Tuesday 28th February 2012 in Reading town centre. The venue is very shortly to be confirmed once we have the booking confirmation. So now it's on to the marketing campaign for the quiz, to whom teams from anywhere are welcome. Can't wait!

Christmas Card success for JCI Reading Guide Dog Campaign

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:13:51 +0000

I've just totalled up the amount raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind from sales of my handmade Christmas cards in my place of work to my colleagues. £29! Not bad when the idea to sell Christmas cards for Guide Dogs for the Blind was quite literally last minute. I've made cards for a couple of years and have enjoyed it as a hobby-trouble is, I make more than cards than i can actually use! Friends and family have become accustommed to handmade cards and I began to offer the odd card for sale through work.

A sudden idea struck me-maybe I could offer handmade Christmas cards for sale with the profit going to Guide Dogs for the Blind. I sent out the email to colleagues and within just a day, I had an order for 25 Christmas cards, as well as 2 larger personalised Christmas cards - one of a traditional street scene - and one one Christmas pandas - yes, pandas!

The days of delivery soon came and nervously i delivered my orders - they were all delighted! I'll definitely prepare more cards for next Christmas, to add to JCI Reading's 2012 total raised for Guide Dogs for the Blind!

In the meantime, I could make cards for all occassions to be sold with profits being donated to Guide Dogs for the Blind.....hmmm!

Clear out your wardrobe this New Year and make a bundle for our 2012 charity

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:27:00 +0000

Today I collected a car load of clothing and textiles from one of our JCI members towards our recycling campaign for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

We all, I'm sure, have bundles of clothing, bedding, curtains, shoes, handbags, belts and soft toys in our wardrobes, cupboards and attics - things we'll never use again.

Taking the time to clear out these items not only gives a sense of satisfaction in knowing you're clearing out, but will also, if you donate them to JCI Reading, help to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind!

Collect together all your unwanted clothing items as detailed above and contact me at clare.f@jcireading.co.uk to arrange handover. They'll be added to our ever increasing piles of sacks ready for collection on 20^th January 2012 - so hurry, let's make a good start to our 2012 Guide Dogs for the Blind 'Name a Puppy' campaign. One full sack of clothing could add as much as £5 to the campaign depending upon the weight, so every last item counts!

By Clare Franklin

Stamp collecting is fulfilling, especially when you're a Guide Dog

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:35:00 +0000

Stamps - they appear on envelopes everyday, yet we hardly give them a second thought. It is in fact the case that they can be collected and traded in for cash for charities, such as the JCI Reading 2012 charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind.

With Christmas post, there's been many more stamps to collect and my box of stamps is looking healthy, having received at least a couple of envelopes a day! It takes me little or no time to carefully tear off the stamp, leaving a border of paper and they take very little space to store - keeping them in an envelope is perfect! Contact me clare.f@jcireading.co.uk to arrange handover of your stamps throughout 2012.

I've even asked my family, friends and even my work colleagues to collect their stamps for me. Remember too that organisations receive post too - set up a box where the post is opened for stamps to be saved and make it known to colleagues they can add their own to the collection.

All stamps can be collected as all are valuable. Do keep your eyes open for all foreign and UK pictorial stamps which are of particular value and attract extra funds for charity.

Happy collecting!

From Clare Franklin

Branding and Communication Workshop Review

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:43:26 +0000

December's workshop entitled 'Branding and Communication: It's not what you say it's how you said it' raised a question for me - of what relevance was it to me? As an employee of a firm already with branding in place did I need to know about communicate a companies message throught it's brand?

Still with questions in my mind, I signed up, knowing that JCI Reading trainings were always of use, whether it be a nugget of information that I didn't know before, or the learning of knowledge and skills that I may draw upon in the future. After all, JCI Reading is all about 'Tomorrow's leaders today!'

The workshop presented by Wesley Buss of Yewtree Marketing, also a JCI Reading member, covered many aspects of branding and communication, a topic I had not given much thought to previously. Out of what was all round an interest and thought provoking workshop, the topic of Communication Management presented itself as one of great relevance to me. Being an Associate Solicitor, BNI Oracle Member and JCI Reading Board Member, the amount of communications I need to be doing often causes me worry and stress as I have no way of managing them.

Now armed from the workshop with an understanding of all the communications that I am expected to do as well as those that I want to do, from JCI Minutes, BNI Visitor Invites, work marketing campaigns and many more, I set about listing them all, their frequency and identifying the steps that I need to put in place to make such communications easier to complete and in turn easier to keep up with.

Now as I work on setting up my Microsoft Excel spreadsheet 'Communications Dairy' I realise how from a workshop I went along to as it 'might' hold something of interest, has in fact given me a much needed tool that as it develops will change the way I handle, plan and complete communications, bringing calm to the otherwise busy and sometimes unordered thoughts of 'I must do that', 'I must email them' and 'I forgot to send that this week'.

Therefore I would encourage you to look at all future events with an open mind as to how they can help you, for I am sure there will always be something.

Exciting times - Getting the vote of support I needed.

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:49:00 +0000

At the Board Meeting I was excited to put my ideas to the group. This being JCI I knew they would not be laughed down and that any comments would be creative and helpful. I wanted my board colleagues to buy into the idea, after all whilst I myself was committed to the plan, there were certain tasks that I could only achieve with JCI Reading's supportive team behind me.

So there it was - my idea was out there - Guide Dogs for the Blind - a national, well known and established charity, a visible charity as guide dogs are often seen out doing their important work, a charity appealing to all motivations, adults, children, disabilities and animals.

My fellow board fellows were supportive and encouraging, passing the resolution to adopt the charity for 2012, even offering forward ideas to consider and questions to ask of the charity at the now inevitable meeting that was to be arranged.

So, there it was, my goal to raise funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind was out there I had personally committed to it and told others, it was recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

Knowing that I had written down my goal gave and shared it with those around me gave me an immediate sense that I would achieve it.

Now, came the exciting and challenging task of planning how I would reach that goal, the steps I would need to take and the making sense of the muddle of ideas that was jumbled inside my head - I felt like I could do anything, and my JCI Reading friends were there to back me up.

Making a Change

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:30:14 +0000

Taking the decision to step away from my role of Personal Development Director and more recently Events Co-Ordinator for JCI Reading was not an easy one. Balancing the comfort of a familiar role, doing similar things and practising recurring skills or stepping into an unknown role that has not been fulfilled in JCI Reading for some years to take on the Charity functions within the Chamber.

The move for me was my personal desire to undertake charity work and also to learn and acquire new skills.

The first challenge was to be the seemingly easy task of choosing the charity, which in practice turned out to be one of great difficulty

Could those from outside the immediate locality be motivated to help?
What would form a widely appealing subject to ensure maximum buy in?
Was the charity well known enough to create and hold support?
What would other members of the chamber think?

I did my research, mind mapped my ideas, created my proposal and went to the JCI Reading Board Meeting

What would my fellow members think and would they agree with my idea for JCI Reading's Charity of 2012?

Clare

My next post will be on Wednesday.

My JCI Story by Clare Franklin - Introduction

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:46:35 +0000

At last nights JCI Reading board meeting it was suggested to me (by Steve) that I write regular blogs to help me share something that I am passionate about.

Having thought about it on the train home I want to try to create 'my story' through the blogs. Describing my journey as I take on and embark upon what is for me, quite a marked change in JCI roles. From something that became second nature to me, to something that is going to challenge me in finding out new things, doing new tasks, researching, holding and organising new events and potential dealing with new and varied events.

I hope the blogs that you will read over the coming months are Okay. I haven't written many blogs as in the past, so hopefully by writing more they will get better and better. I've started the beginning of my story and I will try to encompass 'JCI themes' such as the safe environment, the support we give each other, the asking other for leads and help, the skills/contacts that come to us with the hope that it demonstrates what we're all about.

As with everything I do I want to learn to do it right so please give me feedback, comment on the blogs on the site, ask us questions. We may not answer them straight away, but we will try to answer them or ask one of our other members to answer them.

I hope you enjoy reading these blogs.

Clare

My next post will be published on Sunday.
If you are on facebook a really easy way to be notified is to 'like' the JCI Reading facebook page. ( https://www.facebook.com/JCIReading )

Say Hello to the Real You (Reading) - Review

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:13:14 +0000

The ‘Say hello to the real you’ workshop by Stephen Wells (President of JCI Reading and Owner of AIM to Succeed Ltd) was introduced as ‘a chance to be introduced to the real you, possibly for the first time’.

I was interested to see what I found out about ‘The Real Me’ and would it match what I had always assumed about myself, so I decided to go along.

Steve initially asked us to consider the things that we use to define ‘who’ we really are, this prompted a lot of discussion within the group, a theme that continued throughout the night and was actively encouraged by Steve.
Things like our physical appearance, as well as our roles we assume in life and at work. These thoughts continued to grow as we worked through and began to refine our definition of ourselves more and more as the workshop went on.

The discussions enabled us to reconsider how these points defined us and it was interesting to find that other members of the group had different views on ‘us’, which really highlighted the difference between how we see ourselves and how others perceive us on a day to day basis.

As the night progressed Steve reinforced to us that by learning about ourselves we gain a new insight into our lives and how we can make decisions. Enabling us to choose how to control and react to events around us.

At the end of the workshop we were given the opportunity to make a promise to ourselves, and write it down so that Steve could post it back to us at a later date (It should be arriving back with me any day now). We all agreed to personally commit to ourselves to work towards achieving these goals, or focusing on the new learning, to make the positive change in our lives, in doing so changing how we define ourselves.

It was really good to step back and look at how what I learned about myself on that night compared to what I had initially thought, thankfully for the good!

Steve was keen to encourage debate within the group and also with himself on some of the statements that he made in the process. I’m sure all of us learnt a lot more than we initially thought, and also got to know other members of the group better in the process.

Since that night I have been consciously referring back to that promise that I made to myself and it has made a big difference on how I think about myself and as a result how I present myself, which in turn has paid off at work and at home.

Thanks Steve!

Debating - Stand up and speak 27th October- Review

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:01:13 +0000

Previously I have never been someone who felt comfortable with public speaking and even less so with thinking of my feet during a presentation.

JCI Reading Debating allowed me to face both of these uncomfortable situations in a safe and fun environment, where I had no fear of anyone laughing or criticising me, enabling me to push myself out of my comfort zone and improve my skill set.

The evening started with an overview of the rules and format of JCI debating by JCI London member Diana Lowe who had travelled from London especially to train us and facilitate the evening. (Big thanks to Diana).

We then ran practice debates, JCI London members Marco and Euan acting as team captains to help guide the first two teams. Throughout evening everyone, both members and non-members, had the opportunity to debate and also to have a go at scoring and applying the strict scoring rules.

I now look forward to JCI Reading being able to practice debating by running our own debates and even enter regional and national competitions.

Finally it was really great to meet Peter Reitano, a member of JCI Australia (former JCI Australia National President) who was in the UK touring round chambers before heading out to the JCI World Congress in Brussels next week, making it a truly international event for JCI Reading.

The Spirit of JCI - Ignite your passion

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:36:34 +0000

I am currently sat on the train from Paddington to Reading on my way home from the very first JCI Ignite – South London social event held at 'The Loft' on Clapham High St.

I would like to congratulate the entire JCI Ignite team on a fantastic event that was, in my opinion, a huge success.

The evening reminded me of why I joined JCI. I am not talking about the fabulous offering that JCI has in personal development, community, business, social, or international arena's. I am talking about the pure spirit of JCI, the open forum that is a group of passionate people talking to each other trying to work out how they can help someone else purely for the safe of helping them.

It honestly reminded me of my very first event at JCI Reading where I decided to join. On that night and again tonight (and many times between) I have experienced the natural excitement in a room where people are happy to share, their stories, their ambitions, their goal and are actively seeking ways to achieve them.

JCI Ignite is off to a great start, well done guys.

For all those I have met this evening, make sure you contact me and I WILL help you, as will all the others from JCI Ignite that offered you their help.

Take action and make the difference, to yourself and those around you for that is the Spirit of JCI.

How JCI Can Help You – Thursday 22nd September - Review

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:03:29 +0000

On Thursday 22nd September, JCI Reading welcomed current and prospective members to an information evening at Shirlaws UK.

This was my first experience of JCI after being invited along by Clare Franklin and I have to admit I was slightly unsure of what to expect having heard little of JCI before, but was pleasantly surprised by the friendly and welcoming atmosphere I found myself in. The evening commenced with drinks and nibbles reception, and the room was filled with the hubbub of introductions from current members of JCI, genuine questions of aspirations, and the sharing of the wealth of experiences that JCI members can get involved in once they join.

The evening continued with a warm welcoming from the charismatic and enthusiastic Steve Wells, JCI Reading’s President, who outlined some of the events he had been involved with, and led as a member and president of JCI, ranging from simple office based events such as this one, to a trip to Japan.

Steve also listed some of the many events that are on offer to any prospective, or current, member of JCI, including “Say Hello to the Real You”, which I have also since attended after joining!

Steve’s introduction and background to JCI was followed by enthusiastic presentations from current members who told of the skills they had gained and learnt since joining JCI.

The passion of which JCI members spoke about their experiences really sold the organisation to me and those in the room. As I have mentioned on the night I made the choice to join and I would definitely recommend finding out more to all those who are serious about expanding their network, skill set and employability.

We would like to thank Shirlaws UK for letting us use their Offices and Training room for this session, you can find out more about their services and download their Free Ebook 'More Money, More Time, Less Stress'

JCI Reading will be hosting another ‘How JCI Can Help You’ event on Thursday 10^th November, this time at Odd Fellow Hall, Oxford Rd, so you too can experience the passion, commitment and opportunities that can be open to you through JCI. I look forward to seeing you there.

Sian.

Planning for 2012

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:46:17 +0000

I would like to start by thanking everyone that turned up to last nights Board meeting and AGM.

The energy in the room was infectious and the ideas for training, projects, events and charity involvement were flowing freely.

Following on from the success of our 'How JCI Reading Can Help You' event the input from new members was fantastic. It was great to see that we have truly shown that JCI Reading can open new doors for people and it's effects can be far more reaching than those simply in the room on the day.

For the last 2 years the main focus of JCI Reading has been on Personal Development, giving members the opportunities to increase knowledge and skills, then apply them.

In 2012 we are committing to increase this to having a larger impact on the community around us. We are looking to increase the number of both community and business projects focusing the training we provide on the specific needs of those projects to ensure they have the highest possible impact. Click on the mindmap to see just some of the areas we are discussing and let us know where you would like to help and add value.

On the official side we had 2 votes to build the foundations for next years board.

I was honoured to be supported to be the President of JCI Reading for 2012 and am excited to be working once again with Clare Franklin who has taken the role of Events Coordinator.

If you have an interest in learning or developing your skills and influencing the impact that JCI Reading will be making over the coming year there are other board positions that can be made to fit you and the commitment you are able to make. Please speak to me to discuss the options.

2012 is going to be a fantastic year, so get involved and help make a difference.

Why JCI by Jerry Rubin from Pure Financial Advice Ltd

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 21:04:38 +0000

"Pure Financial Advice has been a keen supporter of JCI. When a trainee financial adviser join the company we encouraged them to join JCI. By joining JCI it improved her business acumen and enhanced her business skills, making her more confident through networking with other young business professionals.

On a separate note I personally have also attended and participated in JCI seminars and found them of great value listening to the business services offered by different professions and improving my own business skills also."

Jerry Rubin from Pure Financial Advice Ltd

JCI Reading Newsletter - How JCI Can Help You

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:00:27 +0000

Whether you are running a business, or are an employee working in one, JCI can and will help you

For individuals:
JCI provides development opportunities that may not be available in your current work environment. The opportunity to gain new skills, polish old ones, meet new friends (from all over the world) to take part in or even run projects that mean something to you.
Even if you are currently not working, employers are looking for proactive people, therefore showing an active interest in an organisation such as JCI will do wonders for your CV and Interview presentation.

For Businesses:
We can either give you the opportunity to present your speciality to a receptive audience of young professionals who wish to learn more about the subject
or
Help you to increase the skill set and engagement of your employees by getting them involved in our training and project sessions.

This introduction email barely touches the surface of how JCI can help, so please come along to our 'How JCI Can Help You' evening, kindly hosted by Shirlaws UK, to find out more.

If you have any questions about any of the events, JCI or how to recognise your opportunities then Drop me an email

I look forward to hearing from you.

Stephen Wells
JCI Reading President 2011

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How JCI Reading Can Help You

Thursday 22nd September
Registration and refreshments 18:30-19:15 before presentation and networking

Presented by Active JCI Members....

Whether you are an employer or an individual JCI Can help you or your staff.

Come along to our relaxed information evening to find out how.

Drinks and refreshments served between 18:30-19:15 before active members of JCI explain how it has helped them, and what activities we are currently involved in to help the community and develop the leaders of tomorrow.

Location: Kindly Hosted by Shirlaws UK at 2nd Floor, 2-4 Kings Road, Reading RG1 3AA
Cost: This is a FREE Event
Contact: Clare Franlkin Events Co-ordinator
Book your ticket

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JCI South Leadership Academy - Hosted in Reading

Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th September
Registration 18:30 Friday to 16:00 Sunday

Various Guest Presenters.

This intensive weekend residential is an ideal opportunity to challenge yourself to take action to develop your personal leadership potential in the workplace and in JCI. Come and learn the essential ingredients to becoming the leader you want to be:

Learn why emotional intelligence is needed in leadership
How to communicate as a leader and how to build support around your ideas and projects,
What are your strengths as a leader and how can you make the most of them
Learn how to build and utilise networks and resources and how they can support your development as a leader.

Location: Quality Hotel Reading (formally The Royal County Hotel), 4-8 Duke Street, Reading,RG1 4RY
Investment: Members £120 / Non Members £165 / Students £112
Contact: Soraya Bowen Events Co-ordinator
Book your ticket

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7 Steps for More Effective Presentations.

Thursday 29th September
Registration 19:00 to start at 19:30

Presented by David Pinnock.

A new and exciting presentation skills training experience, for both novice and experienced presenters.

This short workshop explores seven key presentation principles and provides the opportunity to practice them in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Location: TBC
Investment: Earlybird booking £5 Members / £10 Non Members
Contact: Clare Franlkin Events Co-ordinator
Book your Earlybird ticket

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Say Hello to the real you.

Thursday 13th October
Registration 19:00 to start at 19:30

Presented by Stephen Wells.
In this interactive workshop you will be introduced (possibly for the first time) to the real you. Learning about yourself and what influences the decisions you make. Building on the positives and learning to look at the old negatives in a new light.
Workshop Review from 14th July- Say Hello to the Real You

Location: TBC
Investment: Earlybird booking £5 Members / £10 Non Members
Contact: Clare Franlkin Events Co-ordinator
Book your Earlybird ticket

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Debating Workshop - Stand up and Speak

Thursday 27th October.
Registration 19:00 for a 19:30 Start

Are you good at talking but can't structure your speech? Or would you just like to learn to talk in front of an audience?

Debating is a traditional JCI training to practice public speaking skills where you will learn to structure your comments, articulate and argue professionally with your team members on entertaining subjects.

Location: TBC

Investment: Earlybird booking £5 Members / £10 Non Members
Contact: Clare Franlkin Events Co-ordinator
Book your Earlybird ticket
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Recent Events

Workshop Review - Saiy Hello to the Real You

JCI - UN Global Partnership Summit - Intro and Day 1

Confident Presence workshop by Solveig Malvik

"How to work a room" - Networking Training Review

JCI Scotland National Conference 2011 - Review

Why JCI by Bill Montague from DMP

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:18:42 +0000

"The old adage ‘people buy people’ remains as true today as ever, especially for business professionals.

In a world where our personal qualities count for so much, it is a good idea to develop networking and related skills early on in our careers.

That’s why DMP have encouraged our young lawyers to get involved with JCI and it has been a pleasure to see the benefits that JCI membership has brought them."

Bill Montague from DMP

‘Say Hello to the Real You’ Workshop - Training Review

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:36:13 +0000

Date: Thursday 14^th July 2011

Venue: Dexter Montague LLP Solicitors, 105 Oxford Road, Reading, RG1 7UD

Trainer: Stephen Wells - AIM to Succeed

This highly interactive workshop was be facilitated by Stephen Wells, founder of AIM to Succeed. Steve coaches Businesses and Individuals to help them reach their full potential by identifying previously hidden strengths and unbridled ambition.

In the literature for the event Steve suggested that we would be introduced (possibly for the first time) to the real you - the aim of this workshop. This was the part that really grabbed me!

As a group, we identified the following key objectives:

Who is the real me?
What is it that makes me?
What defines me?

Learning about yourself and what influences the decisions you make. Building on the positives and learning to look at the old negatives in a new light. Fascinating stuff and I'm confident that all those who attended the session agree that we certainly achieved this and a whole lot more!

We all have different experiences and what they mean to each of us. Steve opened the workshop by asking each of us to introduce ourselves to the rest of the group, by stating what it is that defines us. Tricky!

Introductions done, we moved on to try to define 'what I am' by compiling a personal list.

My list began...

I am Diane
I am a wife to David
I am a soon to be mum
I am a member of JCI Reading Board of Directors
I am an HR Business Partner etc etc

Exploring these lists we discussed them and Steve took us deeper into how we use them to define ourselves. As I thought more about my 'what I am' list, my list began to grow at rapid speed including:

I am happy
I am loving
I am a foodie
I am motivated
I am not creative

The list is endless and will have to be rewritten continuously as I reflect.

While reflecting on the lists Steve also talked about perceptions and how we can each have very different views of the same story. Steve provides an excellent example of this theory by reading us a detailed story. It's fascinating how we each process and filter information so differently.

This moved onto how we all use language patterns and how we process the world around us (as it happens) :

Delete, distort and generalise information
Are influenced by values and beliefs
Posess internal representation
Intrasinctly link our state to our physiology

.....attitude, passion & self belief

Which lead us to some interesting NLP concept, including Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

Higher purpose / Identity
Values
Beliefs
Capabilities
Behaviors
Environment

In summary, Steve explained the theory that by learning about ourselves we will be able to move forward with a new insight into 'our' world and how we are really in control of it. Setting us up perfectly to set new goals and ensure that we achieve them.

Throughout the course of the workshop, Steve guided us through:

The current you:

All the things that we are
What made us think that is us
What we have achieved so far
The Real you:

Steve challenged us to step into ourselves with new knowledge and identify who we really are, asking us to let yourself go and dream our dream.

This was our opportunity to ensure we know why we want to be where we want to be. Allowing us to set ourselves ambitious and honest goals knowing that we committed to achieving them.

Steve closed the workshop by asking each of us to write a postcard which we addressed to ourselves with a short note of what we had promised ourselves personally. Steve committed to post these to each of us in 21 days time as a reminder. What a great idea - thanks Steve!

Personally, I thought this was an excellent workshop provided by an excellent, passionate and highly knowledgeable trainer. I got a lot from it, it really makes you think about who you are, what you want to be, how you will get there and what you already are and that's only scratching the surface!

Trainer:

Training was provided by Stephen Wells, founder of AIM to Succeed

AIM to Succeed:

Ambition
Inspiration
Motivation

Steve is also JCI Reading President 2011.

Other workshops by AIM to Succeed include:

Leadership Workbook
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities
Setting a DREAM goal

Resource Recognition

Finally, on behalf of all those who participated, thank you sincerely Steve for a fabulous workshop, it was highly interesting, informative, provided food for thought and good fun!

Review written by Diane Edgington (JCI Reading Training Director / HR Business Partner for the EMEA region Seagate Technology)